Most cold outreach fails for one reason: the prospect's brain pattern-matches it to the 14 other sales DMs that hit their inbox today. The fix isn't a smarter pitch. It's writing something their brain doesn't recognize as outreach.

These 17 prompts are built for that. Each one targets a different point in the cold-to-conversation arc.

18. The connection request that doesn't get ignored

What it does: Writes the short message that goes with a connection request. The 300-character version of every cold outreach you'll ever do.

The prompt:

`You're writing a LinkedIn connection request note for a cold prospect. The note is 300 characters max. The goal is to get them to accept the request, not to pitch.

About the prospect:

• Their role: [title and company]
• A specific thing I noticed about them: [something from their profile, recent post, or company news. NOT "I love your content."]
• Why I'm reaching out: [the actual reason. honest.]

About me:

• My role: [your role and company]
• My one-line credibility marker: [something specific that makes me worth replying to]

Constraints:

• 300 characters absolute max. Count it.
• Open with the specific thing I noticed. Not "I came across your profile."
• One sentence on me. No more.
• No CTA. The request itself is the CTA.
• Sentence case. No emojis. No hashtags. No em dashes.
• If it sounds like a sales template, rewrite it twice.

Output:

1. Three different versions of the note, each under 300 characters
2. The character count of each
3. A one-line note on which one I should send first and why`

Drop this in when: You're going after someone you've never spoken to. The note is doing more work than the connection itself.

19. The post-engagement DM

What it does: First DM after someone has engaged with your content (liked, commented, reposted). Highest reply rate of any cold outreach format.

The prompt:

`You're writing a LinkedIn DM to someone who just engaged with my content. They [liked/commented on/reposted] my post about [topic]. Their action means they're warm, but I've never spoken to them.

About the prospect:

• Their role: [title and company]
• What they engaged with: [the post or specific comment]
• The trigger I want to use: [reference their action, their comment, or something specific from their profile]

About me:

• My role: [your role]
• The relevance angle: [why this person specifically might care about what I do]

Constraints:

• Open with a reference to their action, not a generic greeting. "Saw your comment on the [topic] post, the bit about X is exactly what I keep hearing from [their world]" beats "Hi there!"
• The DM is short. 2-4 lines max.
• No pitch. No CTA. Just acknowledgment + one open question.
• The question should be one they'd want to answer. Not "are you interested in X." More like "how are you handling X right now?"
• Sentence case. No emojis. No em dashes.

Output:

1. The DM
2. Two alternative opening lines (in case the first one feels off)
3. A one-line follow-up to send if they reply`

Drop this in when: You see engagement on your post from someone who fits your ICP. Move within 24 hours. The signal goes stale fast.

20. The "I built this for you" DM

What it does: Cold DM that opens by giving something specific to the prospect (an audit, a rewrite, a suggestion). Reply rates 4-8x higher than pitch DMs.

The prompt:

`You're writing a cold LinkedIn DM that leads with something I made specifically for the prospect. The thing I made: [the specific deliverable, e.g., "rewrote their cold email subject line," "audited their LinkedIn headline," "found 3 people in their network they should be talking to"].

About the prospect:

• Their role: [title and company]
• The specific thing I noticed that prompted me to make this: [the trigger]
• What I made (in detail): [the actual deliverable. write it out.]

About me:

• My role: [your role]
• Why I have permission to give this kind of input: [your credibility on this topic]

Constraints:

• Open with the gift, not the setup. "Rewrote your headline. Three options below." beats "I noticed your headline could be better."
• Deliver the value in the DM itself, not behind a CTA. They should be able to use what I sent without replying.
• After the gift, ONE line of context. Why I made it.
• Close with a soft door, not a pitch. "Use it or don't." or "No need to reply."
• Sentence case. No emojis. No em dashes. No "hope this helps."

Output:

1. The full DM with the gift embedded
2. A version of the close that's slightly warmer (in case the first feels too cold)`

Drop this in when: You can actually build the thing. This format dies if the gift is generic or AI-generated obvious.